Dig In, Buffalo! A crispy chicken sandwich that’ll blow up your tastebuds | Sponsored

The crispy chicken sandwich has taken over the universe.

In 2016, Bon Appetit magazine stated that, as a country, “We’ve Officially Reached Peak Fried Chicken Sandwich Mania” by titling an article as such.

And that was before Popeye’s, the Southern-based fried chicken fast food restaurant, broke hearts by releasing its first chicken sandwich in 2019 only to run through its entire supply in a few weeks.

Today, crispy, crunchy deep fried chicken sandwiches rule the menus at restaurants with drive-thru windows and at restaurants with whole cellars dedicated to fancy “grower” champagnes. Only in pandemic America could such intense cross pollination occur between the high and low end of any industry and be so well accepted by virtually everyone involved (aside from, perhaps, the chickens themselves).

Whether Britesmith Brewing’s inclusion of the sandwich on its menu was fueled by a desire to ride the battered, golden brown wave of chicken sandwich popularity or was simply the inclination of a chef obsessed with the best versions of any comfort food, it’s hard to say. But the results are memorable.

Chef Ross Warhol’s chicken sandwich is brined and double battered before hitting the fryer. Served on a freshly-toasted bun with a slathering of deviled egg spread and a bright tomato gastrique accompanied by slivers of crunchy red onion and green lettuce, it’s a thing to behold. We know it will prove to be as popular at your house as it is in Britesmith’s dining room.

The kitchen team at Britesmith Brewing brines all the chicken it uses to create crispy sandwiches. Brining meat that’s going to be dredged and fried is an incredibly important step.

Primarily it helps the chicken stay moist. But the flavor imparted through brining also assists in cutting through the richness of the batter.

In addition to the salty brine water, Warhol adds aromatics such as bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, parsley, crushed garlic, peppercorns, lemon wedges and even honey. Simmering all these items together, cooling the resulting brine down and then adding the chicken will imbue moisture and flavor.

Warhol recommends the chicken and the cold brine spend 12 hours together in the refrigerator ahead of frying.

Tomato jam is a useful tool in the summertime when grilling meats is an easy solve for dinner. Chef Warhol uses tomato jam on the fried chicken sandwich at Britesmith, but it works on burgers, hot dogs, avocado toast and so much more!

Make a quart of it and add it to your condiment repertoire! Simply combine 3 cups of red wine vinegar with 2 cups of granulated or light brown sugar in a big pot on the stove. Heat over medium until the bubbles that appear near the top of the mixture reach a ½-inch circumference. Meanwhile, wash and cut the tops off 10 pounds of fresh roma tomatoes. Run the tomatoes through a food processor or chop finely before adding them – along with their seeds and liquid – to the pot of vinegar and sugar. Reduce to the consistency of marmalade, approximately 45 minutes to an hour. Season with 2 teaspoons of ground pepper, 1 tablespoon of paprika and salt to taste before cooling. Store in an airtight refrigerated container for up to three weeks.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup cornstarch
• 1½ tbsps. garlic powder
• 1½ tbsps. onion powder
• 1½ tbsps. cayenne powder
• ½ tbsp. mustard powder
• ½ tbsp. paprika
• ½ tbsp. black pepper
• 1½ tbsps. baking powder
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, approximately 6 ounces each
• 1 cup buttermilk
• Neutral oil, for deep frying
• 4 burger buns
• Toppings: lettuce and red onion; optional tomato jam, hot sauce or sliced tomato

• 6 hard-boiled egg yolks (only)
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1 tsp. yellow mustard
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Add oil to a fryer or deep dutch oven until it fills ½ to ¾ of the vessel’s depth. Begin heating to the optimal temperature of 325°F; this should take around 30 minutes.

In a small mixing bowl, make the deviled yolk spread by combining its required ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mash the yolks and mix until a smooth spread-like consistency is achieved. Season to taste. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Add the following items to a bowl large enough for dredging the chicken: flour, cornstarch, the garlic, onion, cayenne and mustard powders, paprika, black pepper, and baking powder. Combine thoroughly.

Prepare a battering station. Even though there are only four pieces of chicken to cook, since the recipe calls for double dredging, working neatly will make things go smoothly.

Add the buttermilk to a shallow dish. Place the bowl of dredging flour to its right and a plate for holding the battered chicken to the right of that.

Immerse a chicken breast in the buttermilk. Pick it up and allow the excess buttermilk to drip back into the dish. Now place the chicken in the bowl of dredging flour. Cover completely before removing the chicken from the flour mixture. Shake off excess flour before again submerging the chicken breast into the buttermilk. Again, pick it up and allow the excess buttermilk to drip back into the dish. Place the chicken back into the flour and toss gently again. Remove and gently shake off excess. Rest chicken on plate while you batter the other three breasts.

Ready your frying station and test fry. Set up a sheet pan lined with paper towels for draining the chicken as it comes out of the hot oil. Once the chicken is dredged and the oil in the fryer or dutch oven reaches 325°F, you can begin. Place each piece of chicken in the fryer with a pair of tongs, cooking until each is golden brown. Use the tongs to occasionally turn the chicken in the oil for even browning.

Remove to drain on the lined sheet pan.

Ultimately you want each piece to reach an internal temperature of 165°F on the thermometer. The chicken will continue to cook using “carryover” heat while it’s resting, so don’t plunge it back into the oil if the thermometer reads anything over 160°F.

Once the excess oil has drained from the chicken’s exterior, assemble the sandwiches. Begin by toasting the bun. Once it’s toasted, spread the deviled yolk mixture on the bottom bun. Place the fried chicken on top and follow it with crisp lettuce, a few slices of red onion and anything else you’d like.

Now add hot sauce or tomato jam, if desired. Put the top bun in place and serve.

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